State authorities make sex offender registry arrests

SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia State Police have arrested more than 170 sex offenders since the first of the year for providing false information to the state sex offender registry. Spokesman and 1st Sgt. Michael Baylous said the State Police and the U.S. Marshal Service has verified the information for more than 1,000 offenders on the registry during that time. That includes a special emphasis over the past weekend.

Baylous said additional arrests are expected as individuals are located and investigations are completed. There are approximately 3,500 offenders listed on the registry. Baylous said the list has grown by more than 400 offenders each of the past three years. Another 1,200 offenders are incarcerated and will be registered when they finish serving their sentences. The sex offender registry can be found at www.statepolice.wv.gov.